Marketplace sale: start with its checkout
For marketplace orders, use the payment route the platform supports and follow its dispatch requirements. Check how disputes, returns and seller protection work for your category. Leaving the platform to save a fee may change your protection and breach its rules. Confirm the payment status in the actual seller dashboard, then keep the order and delivery evidence.
Own website: use a supported checkout
A hosted card checkout from an established payment provider can reduce the handling of sensitive card information. Use the provider’s fraud settings and supported authentication workflow. Three-D Secure can change liability for eligible fraud disputes, but it does not eliminate chargebacks or cover every dispute. Keep clear product, delivery and refund terms. Do not ask customers to email card numbers or security codes.
Bank transfers: useful, with different risks
Transfers can suit agreed business invoices. Confirm the payer, reference and received funds through your bank. Independently verify supplier bank-detail changes before making an outgoing payment. UK APP scam reimbursement covers eligible individuals, microenterprises and charities for qualifying payments under its rules; it is not protection for all businesses or every commercial disagreement. Bank transfer is not a universal replacement for marketplace checkout or card dispute procedures.
PayPal and collection need the right setup
PayPal Seller Protection applies only to eligible transactions and specified claim types, with evidence requirements. Friends & Family personal payments are excluded from that seller protection. Read the actual transaction eligibility and current UK terms before shipping. For collection, agree the item, amount and permitted payment route in advance, follow platform collection-proof rules and choose a sensible meeting arrangement. Cash avoids a card chargeback but introduces counterfeit, theft and handling risks. No method makes every sale risk-free.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Make the next move a clearer one.
- Use marketplace-supported checkout for marketplace orders.
- Compare fees, dispute handling and payout timing.
- Check protection eligibility before dispatch.
- Keep delivery or collection evidence the provider accepts.
- Never collect card details through email or chat.
Where we checked the details
Primary sources checked 11 October 2026. Rules, prices and eligibility can change. Confirm current terms with the official service.
General UK guidance and editorial checklists. Apply the official rules to your circumstances and seek qualified help where needed. This is researched guidance, not a claim that we have tested every provider or situation.
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